Mining ‘destroying’ Zambales townsSANTA CRUZ, Zambales: Mining activists claimed that the volume of mountain soil in this town that was lost and transported out of the country by mining firms may have reached 66.64 million dry metric tons over the last eight years, destroying farmlands, river and roads and causing asthma and other pulmonary diseases to the residents. Based on their computation, a cargo ship can load up to 50,000 metric tons of which 49,000 metric tons are soil. Twelve of these companies are operating in the northernmost towns of Zambales, with nine operating in Santa Cruz. The shoal is 85 kilometers from the town of Santa Cruz and some 65 kilometers from the town of Masinloc. These mining firms – Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc. (BNMI), Zambales Diversified Metals Inc. (ZDMC), LnL Archipelago Minerals Inc. (LAMI) and Eramen Minerals Inc. (EMI) – are operating in the northernmost towns of Santa Cruz and Candelaria.

Source: Manila Times July 28, 2016 12:11 UTC